Diverse Crowd of 817 Aspires to Presidency
A record 817 people have signed up to run in Iran’s June 8 presidential election next month, Iran’s official news agency reported. But only a handful are expected to be approved by the Guardian Council, which screens aspirants according to strict Islamic criteria.
The council approved only four of about 240 who sought to enter the race in the last election, in 1997. Among those who registered this year are a pop singer, a former hostage taker and a street peddler who wants to ban oil exports.
Reformist President Mohammad Khatami is seeking reelection and is widely expected to win in the absence of any serious challenger from the rival conservative camp.
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